PRIVATEER SERDERIDIS BOOKS LATEST FIESTA WR CAR FOR RALLY AUSTRALIA

PRIVATEER SERDERIDIS BOOKS LATEST FIESTA WR CAR FOR RALLY AUSTRALIA

Posted 02:43pm 3rd February 2018 - Rally Australia

GREEK privateer Jourdan Serderidis will return to Kennards Hire Rally Australia in the latest Ford Fiesta World Rally Car in November to chase his first points for the FIA World Rally Championship drivers’ title.

Serderidis announced he would enter a Fiesta run by champion manufacturer M-Sport for the 15-18 November WRC season final on the NSW Coffs Coast and at ADAC Rallye Deutschland in August.

“I’m pleased to be back with M-Sport and even more so with the latest Ford Fiesta WRC, which is the best car you can drive in rally nowadays,” Serderidis said.

“I will make the necessary efforts and preparation to make the most of the opportunity.

“Considering these two rallies, I hope to secure a top-15 place in Germany and a top-10 place in Australia, which represents a reasonable target for me.”

Serderidis, 54, may have to beat several high-quality Australian-based drivers when he lines up for his fourth start at Rally Australia.

He finished 11th outright at last year’s event behind Richie Dalton (eighth), Nathan Quinn (ninth) and Dean Herridge (10th), but won the season’s inaugural WRC Trophy category for previous-era WRC cars at the wheel of a Citroën DS3 WRC.

Past Rally Australia appearances in the WRC2 category yielded 23rd outright in a Citroën DS3 R5 in 2016 and a retirement in 2014 while driving a Ford Fiesta R5.

M-Sport boss Malcolm Wilson said he looked forward to welcoming Serderidis and co-driver Frédéric Miclotte and the team would do all it could to help Serderidis achieve his points target.

“Jourdan will drive the exact same car as five-time world champion Sébastien Ogier and have all the same tools and information at his disposal,” Wilson said.

“Knowing how hard he works – and how much experience he has at this level – I have no doubt that he will put absolutely everything into these drives.

“Our aim is to help him secure his first FIA World Rally Championship points with a new-generation world rally car.”